The Family Collection of the late Countess Mountbatten of Burma
The Family Collection of the late Countess Mountbatten of Burma
Auction Closed
March 24, 08:41 PM GMT
Estimate
300 - 500 GBP
Lot Details
Description
A silver presentation copy of the Blacksmiths' cup of 1655 presented to Lady Brabourne by the Blacksmiths Company
maker's mark JM over MG, London
1976
smaller than the original, the stem formed as a figure of Vulcan at his anvil, matt finish bowl engraved with the arms of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths below copy of the original inscription, the underside inscribed Presented to the lady Brabourne by the Blacksmiths Company-January 6th-1977, fitted leather bound blue velvet case, Asprey & Co Ltd
18cm. high
305gr, 9oz 16dwt
The original Blacksmiths' Company cup was a special commission ordered by Christopher Pym as a thanks offering to the Company when he was appointed Clerk in 1655. Despite its close associations, Pym's gift was sold by the Company and came into the collection of Ralph Bernal (1783-1854), a wealthy merchant and member of parliament. It was sold in the sale of his collections at Messrs.
Christie & Manson, March 5, 1855, lot 1424, for £37 10s to S. Zimmerman. It afterwards belonged in succession to Sir Frederick Milbank, 1st Bt. (1820-1898) and to Joseph Dixon (1823-1910), a barrister and author of A Treatise on the Law of Partnership (London, 1866) and was sold at Christie's respectively on 27 February 1890 (510 guineas) and 14 March 1911 (£4,100). The cup was then purchased by Sir Ernest Cassel and is now part of the collection of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.